What is restorative justice
Restorative justice aims to restore the wellbeing of victims, offenders and communities damaged by crime, by safely bringing together all those affected to address the harm that has been caused.
As a voluntary process run by the support company Remedi, it gives victims a voice and holds offenders to account, helping them take responsibility for what they’ve done and to make amends.
I’ve been a victim, how can restorative justice help me?
If you have been a victim of a crime it can help in a number of ways.
- It can give you a voice allowing you to ask questions and receive an explanation.
- Achieve some form of closure through better understanding.
There are several ways in which we would help you communicate with an offender, these are:
- Face to face.
- Through letters or by passing messages between parties.
We will prepare everyone involved individually until they are ready to communicate and hopefully find a positive way forward.
Restorative Justice is available at various stages of the criminal justice process including; after arrest, after conviction or even once the offender has been released.
How can restorative justice help an offender?
The whole process aims to meet the needs of not only the victim but also the offender and there are benefits for both parties.
Offenders are given the opportunity to:
- Apologise.
- Make amends for their crime.
- Acknowledge the change needed to prevent further offending.
- Accept and understand the personal impact of their crime.
Restorative justice can also have an impact on the wider community as it has been proven to reduce offending rates which in turn reduces the number of victims.
For more information visit:Restorative Justice Council: www.restorativejustice.org.ukRemedi: www.remediuk.org